Railway-journal-box protector



1 929. c. J. FENSKE 1,724,919

RAILWAY JOURNAL BOX PROTECTOR Filed July 22, 1927 INVENTOR Chub, x FMM tectors are slab-like members which receive the car axle.

numerous objections.

terial which is Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

f UNITED sr TES CHARLES JZ I'EN'SK E, OI PITTSBURGH,

rm NSYLVANIA BAILWAY-J'OUBfiALZBOX rao'rncron.

Application filed July 22,

This invention relates to railwa journal box protectors or dust guards. T ese prg; .around a railway car axle adjacent the journal portion and work in slots formed in therear end of the journal box. The are necessarily made movable relatlve to t e ournal box and are intended to keep dirt and grit out of the journal.

Railway journal boxes, as heretofore constructed, have generally comprised a block of wood cut to the right shape and bored to Wood has been employed because it will not bind on the axle despite the heat generated or desplte madequate lubrication. Woodis also used because it is light and therefore does not tend to wear a lar e hole as quickl as would a protector mafe of heavy meta It will be understood, of course, that the weight of the protector is carried by the axle.-

The wooden protectors have been open to They crack and split, and even though made of high quality wood, they wear large at the hole and permit dlrt and grit to enter the journal.

I provide a journal box protector which is made of a light weight metal, plreferably aluminum. This does away wit all the splitting and cracking troubles experienced with wooden protectors. At the same time the tendency of the hole to wear large is, reduced-first, because the protector is very light in weight, and second, because I secure a better bearing between the rotector and the axle than has heretofore een obtained' r b1 1 f fib I re era em 0 a rin o rous map y car ied by th e rotector and extends around the car axle. his ring may be made of felt or the like, thus securing suflicient flexibility to maintain a relatively tight joint despite any slight wear which may occur. The felt ring hes close against the axle at all times and thus prevents dirt from entering the journal box.

The protector is preferably made hollow so as to receive a lubricant. This lubricant is not intended to be used in normal car operation, but is for emergency urposes only. The hollow space is connected b a passage extending toward the journal, t is being normally sealed off by a suita terial, such as wax,

assage le mawhich will retain the lubricant in the hollow body under the normal 1927. Serial 10,207,757.

temperature. of the journal. In case a and the journal is supplied with lubricant.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the resent preferred embodiment of my invention,-

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section working t .box develops, the wax is melted through a journal boxhavin my improved protector or dust led thereto,

guard app Figure 2 is a front elevation of the pro- The journal box 5 is provided with slots 6 adjacent its rear fits in these slots.

The protector or dust guard comprises a body portion 7, a felt ring 8 and a retaining r1ng 9. The body portion 7 is made of aluminum and is cored out as indicated at 10 to form an annular flange and a flan at the edge ofthe body surrounding t e first flange, which flanges are connected to each other at spaced intervals by short webs, so that it will be as light as possible and still have the desired structural strength.

The felt ring 8 comprises a flat flange-like portion 11 lying in a recess formed in the body 7, and a cylindrical portion 12 which lies along and closely engages the car axle 2 The portion 12 is inte al with the port1on 11, and by reason 0 this construction the natural spring of the felt causes it to closely embrace the axle at all times.

he ring 8 is held in place by the ring 9 which in turn is secured by screws 13.

The ring 9 is hollowed at its top portion, as indicated at 14, and a passage 15' is ro vided in the body portion 7 so that the 01- low portion 14 may be filled with lubricant.

he ring 9 makes a sufficiently close fit with the other parts of the rotector that the lubricant will be retained vided with openings 15 hollow These 0 section, and the protector extending from the portion 14 toward the ournal 3.

a material such as wax or hard grease 16 The ring 9 is propenings are normally plugged with having a suitable meltin point. Normally the lubricant 1n openings 15 by reason of the openings being plugged with the wax or hard grease 16. I

a hot box develops and the temperature within the journal box is thus elevated above the normal running temperature, the wax or grease 16 will-be melted and the lubricant 15 free to run from the hollow space 14. Graphite may be emplo ed, and when the passages rise, it will flow toward the journal and proing to receive a lubricant, the ring having 1 a passage extending from the last mentioned recess toward the journal in the box, and a material normally closing ofi' -said passage the ho low portion 14 is prevented from runnin out through the 15 are opened y the temperaturev and ada ted to melt and permit thelubricant to ow through the passage upon being unduly heated.

2. A dust guard for railwayjournal boxes ada ted to be inserted in guides in a ]0l1I- nal ox, having an'axle opening and provided with a recess therein above the axle opening to receive a lubricant, the dust guard having a passage extending from the recess toward the journal in the box, and means responsive to temperature and effective for opening the passage upon being unduly heated.

3. A (lust guard for railway journal boxes comprising a body portion having an axle opening therethrou h, an-annular flange on one side of the body surrounding the axle opening, there being an annular recess surrounding the axle openin formed b a portion of the body and said annular ange, a second flange at the edge of the body surrounding the annular fiange, webs connecting said flanges at spaced intervals, a ring of fibrous material seated within the annular recess, a securing ring in the recess, and securlng screws passing through the body and fibrous ring into the securing ring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES J. FENsKEj 

